GII: Woyome’s acquittal and discharge not shocking

The Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Vitus Azeem has described as “unsurprising” the ruling of an Accra High court acquitting and discharging businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome of two charges brought against him by the State.

“It’s not really surprising that the ruling has been made in his favour.

“From the very beginning, we had said that the state prosecutors had not been living up to expectation and indeed some of the judgment debts could have been avoided if they take matters seriously,” Mr Azeem told Kwaku Obeng Adjei minutes after the court read its ruling.

Woyome was declared free by the Court Thursday. The businessman was standing trial for allegedly defrauding the state of GH¢51.2 million.

He was acquitted and discharged on the counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence.

Justice John Ajet-Nassam ruled that the state failed to convince the Court that Woyome acquired the money fraudulently.

The controversial payment was made under the tenure of Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu as Attorney General.

Woyome was arrested on February 3, 2012 after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) implicated him for wrongdoing after investigations.

He was first arraigned on February 6, 2012, together with three others.

The state brought the criminal case against him after the Supreme Court ordered him to refund the money to the state.